I'm Not That Easy Blue Eyes
by blueland10
Summary: Love, loss, and moving on. Eleanor Roberts needed help leaving the past in the past. But little did she know that her help would come in a pair of beautiful blue eyes.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: So this is my first Other Character story and I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue it. Let me know if you think I should. Thanks :D

I don't own White Collar, just the little mistakes here and there :]

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It was late, she was cold, and her feet hurt like hell. All she wanted to do was plop down on her couch with some Ben & Jerry's and zone out in front of the TV. As usual the New York City streets were crowded making it nearly impossible for her to move faster that a slow walk. Grumbling to herself she pushed her hand deeper into her grey pea coat and lowered her head against the cold night air. Just as the foot traffic was letting up, she ran smack into someone.

"Oh come on man, what's your problem?" she said rather angrily when the man didn't move or turn around to apologize. Instead the man staggered backwards falling into her. She caught the man around his midsection slowly lowering him to the ground. The man's handsome face was contorted with pain and his breathtaking blue eyes were wide with shock. Something warm and sticky ran over her hand and she felt her heart stop. Blood blossomed from the man's side, staining his crisp white shirt, scarlet. Immediately she stripped off her pea coat and placed it on the man's wound to stop the bleeding. "Someone call 9-1-1!" she shouted to the group of people that began to form around her. "My name is Eleanor Roberts, I'm a nurse, I'm gonna help you. Can you tell me your name?" she addressed the man.

"N-Neal." He said through quick painful gasps. "Neal Caffrey."

"Ok Neal I need you to try and relax, can you do that for me?" she asked keeping pressure on his side. Neal nodded his eyelids beginning to droop.

"Neal, I need you to look at me. I need you to stay awake." She said her voice sharp and urgent. "Talk to me Neal, come on. Tell me what you like to do."

"Art." He croaked out.

"Art, good…that's good. so you like to paint?" She asked keeping her amber eyes locked on his blue ones. Neal nodded before clenching his eyes tight with pain. "I know it hurts Neal but you gotta stay with me ok? Do you…do you have a favorite artist?"

"M-Matisse."

"Matisse never heard of him." She said glancing around hoping to see the flashing red lights of an ambulance. Neal was fading fast; she didn't know how much longer he could hold on. Neal made a strange gasping noise that grabbed Eleanor's attention. Looking down she could see through the haze of pain on his face the slightest trace of horror or even disgust. But before she could ask the blissful sound of sirens cut through the night air. "alright Neal the ambulance is here, you're doin' great just hold on a little longer. Everything is going to be fine."

"What do we got?" a blond EMT said rushing over.

"He has a laceration to his middle abdomen, possible spleen damage, and severe blood loss." Eleanor spouted off as she helped the EMT lift Neal onto the gurney.

"You a doctor?" the EMT asked.

"Nurse." She corrected him. "Ok Neal, this man is going to take you to the hospital. Everything is going to be just fine you hear me?"

"Don't go." Neal said one of his hands grabbing onto her wrist. "Don't leave me." Eleanor was stunned. She had only known this man for a few minutes yet she couldn't bear to leave him. Maybe it had something to do with his beautiful pleading blue eyes.

"Alright then, let's get moving." The EMT said silently giving her permission to ride along. Not letting go of Neal's clammy hand she jumped in the back of the ambulance. The EMTs removed her now bloodied coat and began cleaning the stab area. Neal's grip tightening as his pain increased. An involuntary moan left his lips and his eyes welled with tears he had tried so hard to hold back.

"It's ok Neal," she said stroking his wavy brown hair. "You're doin' great. Everything is ok."

"Let's start him on 10 mg of morphine." The blond EMT said pulling out a bag of clear liquid.

"What's our ETA?" Eleanor asked her voice sounding calmer that she felt.

"Two minutes." The driver called back, racing though the busy streets of New York.

"He can't wait two minutes; start him on a blood transfusion." Eleanor ordered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Do it!" she snapped. Neal's eye lids began to droop as the effects of the morphine kicked in. "Everything is goin' to be fine, I won't let anything happen to you." She whispered softly as he drifted off.

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A/n: Please let me know if you think I should continue! BWT: for those of you on Twitter, Bomer might be getting one! Yay!


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: A HUGE thank you for all who reviewed and alerted, that made my day! and it also made we want to continue with this story so, I'll try to post a new chapter every week. The good news is, spring break is coming up so I'll have plenty of time to write ;] Thanks again for the reviews!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there.

Also, I'm not a doctor or a nurse yet so don't hold me to the medical stuff.

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"Sir you can't go back there!"

"I'm a federal agent, my consultant is back there!"

"I'm sorry but I can't let you through!"

"Hey, hey what's the deal?" Eleanor asked rushing up to a fellow nurse who was arguing with a man in his late forties flashing his badge.

"I'm Special Agent Peter Burke." He said holding his badge up to Eleanor's face. "I received a call that my consultant Neal Caffrey was in an accident. I want to see him, now."

"Mr. Caffrey isn't out of surgery yet. I can't let you see him." Eleanor said in a very professional tone.

"Like hell he isn't, I've been here over an hour!" Agent Burke yelled loudly that several of the people sitting in the waiting area looked over at them.

"Please sir, you need to calm down-"

"I mean how long does it take! You people won't even tell me what happened!" Agent Burke yelled cutting her off.

"Agent Burke, calm down or I swear to God I will have you escorted out of here." Eleanor hissed back. She understood the agent completely. Someone he cared about was in danger, fear and anger were the go to emotions, but she couldn't have him causing a commotion in the ER. It was already crazy enough without his help. "The second Neal is out of surgery I will let you see him, I promise but now you need to take a seat." Agent Burke looked as if he wanted to say more but instead he gave her a curt nod and walked over to the waiting area.

"Thanks Ellie." The other nurse said with an apologetic smile.

"Don't mention it." Eleanor responded giving her an exhausted smile. "Hey do me a favor, let me know when Mr. Caffrey is out of surgery?"

"No problem." The nurse said before walking off. Eleanor leaned on the nurses' station and closed her eyes. This is not how her night was supposed to go. She was suppose to be at home passed out on her bed not here, at work waiting as one man's life hung in the balance. Rubbing her temples she looked over at Agent Burke sitting rigidly in his seat. Walking over to him she sat down and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No ones told you what happened?" she asked softly.

"Not a damn thing."

"I apologize; sometimes things can get a little crazy around here."

"What happened to him?" Agent Burke asked his voice strained.

"He was stabbed in his upper abdomen."

"Who-"

"I don't know who." Eleanor said before Agent Burke could raise his voice once more. "I know you're worried, but Neal's in good hands. He'll make it through; he seems like a strong kid."

Agent Burke looked confused but before he could ask the other nurse walked over.

"Ellie, he's out." she said. Both Eleanor and Agent Burke jumped to their feet at the same time. Eleanor held out a hand to stop the Agent.

"Agent Burke, let me check on him then I swear I'll let you see him." She said firmly. "I swear I will." Agent Burke nodded and sat back down his hands curling into tight fists. Giving him a small smile she rushed out of the waiting area and through double doors that lead to the ICU.

"He's in room 120." The nurse called after her. Despite her aching feet, Eleanor ran. For some reason she felt a strange pull to Neal, like he was a long lost friend and like Agent Burke she wanted to know that he was safe. The doctor who performed the surgery was just leaving when she reached his room.

"Doctor Stephens how is he?" she asked skidding to a halt in front of the rather tall red headed doctor.

"Eleanor, I thought you went home?" the doctor asked looking at her strangely.

"Yeah I did, and then this happened."

"You were the first on scene?"

"Yeah I was." She replied irritably.

"Good call on the blood transfusion, you might have saved his life." He said patting her on her back.

"Andrew, how is he?"

"Who, Mr. Caffrey? Oh he's fine. His surgery went perfectly thanks to you." Doctor Stephens said with a warm smile.

"Can he take visitors?"

"I'd rather he wouldn't. He needs his rest."

"It's just one, and I'll stay with him in case anything happens."

"Fine, but no longer than fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, thank you Andrew." Eleanor said with an overwhelming sense of relief. Taking off, she ran back to the waiting area where Agent Burke sat looking like someone had a firm grip on his stomach. "Agent Burke!" she yelled completely out of breath a smile forming on her lips. "Come on!"

He jumped from his seat and followed her back to the ICU. Eleanor stopped outside of Neal's room so suddenly almost causing Agent Burke to crash into her. She blocked the entrance crossing her arms a stern look on her face.

"What's going on?" He asked the look of anticipation and fear clearly etched on his face.

"I said I'd let you see him and I will but first you need to listen to me. I can only let you see him for fifteen minutes-"

"Only fifteen minutes-!"

"Hey you should be lucky that you even get to see him. Don't make me change my mind." She said snapping back at him.

"Fine." He said throwing up his hands.

"Now technically I'm supposed to sit in with you but I'll let you have your privacy, just don't do anything that will raise his heart rate. That means don't ask him what happened, am I clear?"

"Yeah…yeah." Agent Burke said nodding, rubbing his chin starting to look jittery.

"Fifteen minutes." Eleanor said opening the door letting Agent Burke in the room. Halfway across the threshold he stopped to look at her, his eyes weary.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Don't mention it." She said with a kind smile before she closed the door and collapsed in the nearest chair. She could see Agent Burke standing nervously at the end of Neal's bed through the window. He looked torn between running from the room and punching his hand through a wall. Slowly he walked over to the side of the bed where Neal's head rested on the pillow. For just getting out of surgery Neal looked pretty decent. His face was rather pale but slowly his color was returning.

Agent Burke's hand hesitated over Neal's forehead for a few seconds before he quickly drew it back and shoved it into his pocket. Taking a seat, he watched the young man as he slept. Agent Burke certainly seemed to care a lot about his consultant, more than an FBI agent should. She watched Agent Burke sit there as Neal slept on, contemplating their relationship. Agent Burke was so worked up while he waited in the ER and even now as he sat there she could tell how much pain he was in. To her, he looked like a father watching his son.

When his fifteen minutes were up Agent Burke left with no protest. He quietly exited Neal's room never waking him once; he just sat there watching Neal sleep.

"I'll let you know if anything happens." Eleanor said walking him out of the ER.

"Thank you." He said again, shaking her hand. "For everything."

"It's my job Agent Burke." She said with a smile. Agent Burke returned the smile half heartedly before walking out into the night. Crossing her arms Eleanor slowly made her way back to Neal's room and quietly entered. She walked over to his heart monitor and checked his fluids staying a quite as possible so not to wake him. Once she made sure everything was in order there she gently lifted up his hospital gown to change his bandages. His wound was an angry red and the dark stitches made it look even worse. Trying not to focus on the gash she gently placed a new covering of gauze and taped it to his smooth abdomen.

"I usually like to meet a woman before she sees me naked." A hoarse voice said braking the quite. Eleanor quickly dropped the gown to find a pair of breathtaking blue eyes looking back at her.

"You're not that lucky." She said with a smile. Neal responded by flashing a dazzling pearly white smile that made Eleanor's heart flip. Damn, he was one gorgeous man. "How are you feeling Mr. Caffrey?"

"Like I've been stabbed." He said his smile still firmly planted on his face yet the pain clear in his eyes.

"Your pain medication should kick in, in a few moments. But for now," Eleanor said reaching over him to adjust his IV drip. "You need to rest. Your surgery went fine but you lost a lot of blood and your body needs to recuperate. If you need anything, just press the nurse call button and someone will be in to help you."

"Why not you?" he asked his smile, if it was even possible, becoming more flirty and charming.

"My shift has been over for almost two hours now."

"And yet your still here."

"Not for long." She said with a smile as she walked to the door and flipped off the lights.

"Thank you." He said just as she began to close the door. His voice was soft, barely audible but Eleanor heard it clear as day. "For not leaving me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." She said before closing the door all the way.

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A/n: Tell me what you guys think :D


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Thanks again to all who have reviewed and alerted! It really makes my day :D

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there.

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Eleanor was standing on the sidewalk her arms folded, her high heeled toe taping the concrete impatiently. It was a beautiful clear night; the warm summer breeze energized the air around her. A pair of headlights grew in the distance bringing a smile to her face. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as the car came closer. Just as the car crossed the intersection there was the ear piercing screech of tires and the horrific sound of crunching metal.

_Running to the mess of twisted metal sitting in the middle of the road, she yanked the passenger door opened. A bloodied figure sat in the driver's seat, his face showered in darkness. Tears stung her eyes as she reached out with shaky hands to touch the cheek of the driver. His breathing was short ragged gulps._

"_No…no please." She begged. The driver turned his head in her direction and opened his eyes. A pair of beautiful brown eyes looked up at her, full of pain and fear. _

"_Oh God…" she whispered her heart breaking. Why was this happening? Why him? Why him?_

"_Ellie..." he whispered._

"_Shhh, every thing's goin' to be fine." she said cupping his head in her shaking hands. _

"_Don't leave me!" he begged. "Please don't leave me!"_

"_I-I won't." she cried back tears flowing freely from her eyes as she moved closer to him. She gently wrapped her fingers around his limp hand, his blood getting all over her dress. "I won't leave you."_

"_Don't…leave…" he said before his head fell to the side and his last breath rushed from his lungs._

"_No!" she cried her heart freezing in her chest. "No, stay with me! Wake up! Come on, wake up! You can't leave! Get up! Please…get up." But he didn't move his eyes were cold, lifeless, brown orbs._

Eleanor jerked awake, breathing hard. A cold sweat had broken out across her forehead and her sheets had twisted themselves around her, holding her tight. Waves of panic washed over her as she bit back a cry. After several deep, calming breaths she untangled herself from her sheets and swung her feet over the edge of her bed. She held her head in her shaking hands fighting back a wave of tears that threatened to spill over.

They were starting again. Her nightmares had come back. What did she do to deserve this hellish torture? Living it once was bad enough, but putting her through that again, was beyond cruel. Was this some sick joke God was playing on her? No, God had nothing to do with it. If there was anyone to blame it was herself.

Running her fingers through her short hair, her reflection caught her attention. She looked much older than a thirty year old. Dark bags hung under her amber eyes giving her the look of a sleep deprived zombie. Glancing over at the clock on her night stand Eleanor let out a groan. Only three hours of sleep and her next shift started at five. _Yeah_, she thought to herself, _this is goin' to be a great day._

"How is my favorite patient today?" Eleanor said with a cheerful smile as she pushed open the wooden door leading into a sunlit room. A small girl around the age of thirteen sitting propped up in her bed coloring, smiled widely as Eleanor entered.

"You look awful." The girl commented. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Not as much as I would like." Eleanor said checking the girl's monitors. "What about you Jennifer, did you sleep ok last night?"

"I slept alright." Jennifer said shrugging off the question like it was nothing.

"Jenny, if something's wrong you need to tell me or your doctor. Don't try and hide it." Eleanor said firmly taking a seat next to Jennifer's bed.

"I'm fine Ellie I swear." The girl said staring Eleanor down with her warm brown eyes. "Now what about you, what was the reason for your lack of sleep, was it a boy?"

"Ha, I wish." Eleanor said rubbing her eyes. "No, late night emergency, that's all."

"Liar liar pants on fire." Jenny said with a devilish smile on her face. But before Eleanor could come up with a retort another nurse came into the room.

"Ellie, Dr. Stephens needs to see you in ICU." The nurse said.

"Why is something wrong?" Eleanor asked looking up at the nurse.

"No, he says there is a patient who won't stop asking for you."

"Ooooh, is it a boy?" Jenny said her devilish smile growing wider.

"I'm sure it's nothing like that." Eleanor snapped. "I'll be back to check on you later."

"Yeah you'll have to tell me all about this boy!" Jennifer called after her.

"Hey, do me a favor and let Jenny's doctor know that she's having trouble sleeping though the night again." Eleanor said addressing the nurse who gave her a curt nod then walked away. Eleanor walked to the ICU with a smile still on her face. Jennifer MacArthur was by far her favorite patient in all of her years as a nurse. For a young girl faced with a heart transplant she had so much fire and spunk that it gave Eleanor hope that even in the worst of times you can always find something to be happy about.

"Eleanor, good you're here." Dr. Stephens said running up to her as she crossed the threshold of the ICU, clipboard in hand. "Your patient from last night, Mr. Caffrey, he's been asking for you."

"How is he doing?" she asked taking the clipboard from Dr. Stevens and looking it over.

"He's been drifting in and out which is not uncommon but it's the time he's been awake that I need to talk to you about. He won't see any other nurse, he only wants you."

"Did he say why?" Eleanor asked. Wonderful, now not only does she have a nosey patient to deal with (not that she was really complaining, she loved hanging out with Jenny) but now she's got one who won't stop asking for her.

"No clue, but he needs a nurse so I want you to look after him."

"I don't work this floor." She said trying to worm her way out.

"I know but until he is discharged, you're his."

"But-"

"No arguing, now go see what he wants!" Dr. Stephens said pointing his finger toward Mr. Caffrey's door. "Oh and Eleanor, try and find out how this happened to him." Throwing him a dirty look Eleanor stalked off to 120. Neal was sleeping when she entered, his dark hair covering his eyes. Quietly, she walked over to the window and pulled the drapes open letting in the sunlight. There was a muffled groan of protest from the bed.

"You're back." Neal said roughly moving his head just the slightest. He didn't look that good today. His color had not returned and despite his medication Eleanor could tell he was in a lot of pain.

"How are you feeling today?" She asked as she began to check his vitals. Neal just shrugged again and closed his eyes. "Do you want me to up your medicine?"

"No." he said flatly.

"Neal if you want I can up the dosage. You shouldn't have to lay there in pain."

"I'm fine." He said weakly.

"Alright, but if you change your mind let me know." Eleanor said turning to leave.

"Don't go." He said trying to sit up, causing him more pain than he was already in.

"Whoa, calm down I'm not leaving." Eleanor said rushing over to him, helping him lay back down. "Don't strain yourself, ok, take it easy." Neal nodded but kept his eyes clenched tight. After a few seconds his heart rate returned to normal and he opened his eyes looking at her sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize." She said sweetly. _What the hell_, she thought to herself, _I'm still technically working. After all being in here is better than being out there on my feet._ She pulled up a chair next to Neal's bed and propped her feet up. "Do you mind?" she asked.

"Not at all." Neal said smiling. Eleanor felt her heart melt a little from his beautiful smile. He was definitely the most handsome patient she ever had. Maybe it wasn't so bad being assigned to him. She felt a little prang in her heart as her dream flashed across her mind.

"You ok?" Neal asked his smile faltering.

"Yeah I'm fine.' She said pushing her dream to the back of her head. "So, Neal…can you tell me what happened?"

"I don't-I don't remember." He said slightly panicked.

"It's ok, just take your time." Eleanor said soothingly. "Close your eyes and think ok? We need to know what happened so we can catch whoever did this to you." Neal followed her advice and closed his eyes taking several long, slow breaths.

"I was walking home from the office, when this man bumped into me. I felt this sharp stabbing pain in my side, then it was gone and I fell to the ground. That's-that's all I remember."

"Good, that's very good Neal. Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Tall, light brown hair, a buzz cut I think." He said clenching his eyes tight as he tried to remember. "Brown eyes, around 230-235 pounds, thick jaw and-and a scar on his lower lip."

"Very good Neal, this is very helpful, thank you." Eleanor said getting to her feet. "Now you need to rest, ok? I'll be right back." Neal nodded and watched her as she left his room. "Abby," Eleanor said addressing a rather young looking nurse randomly punching buttons on her computer. "Do we have a contact number for Mr. Caffrey?"

"I don't know."

"Well can you look please?" She ordered. The nurse named Abby rolled her eyes and began shuffling through files.

"Only one number, a Special Agent Burke."

"Can I have his number please?" Abby rolled her eyes again and handed Eleanor a piece of paper. Taking her phone out of her pocket, Eleanor began dialing Agent Burke's number.

"Burke."

"Agent Burke its Eleanor Roberts from Lenox Hill hospital. I'm calling regarding Mr. Caffrey."

"Is something wrong?" Agent Burke asked his voice suddenly constricted and short.

"Everything is fine. He's up and talking, don't worry. I was calling to let you know he remembers what happened."

"Great, I'll be there in ten." He said quickly before hanging up.

"Oh, ok." Eleanor said taken aback by the abrupt ending of their phone call. Tucking her phone and Agent Burke's number into her pocket she walked back into Neal's room to find him sitting up a pleasant smile on his face.

"You're back."

"I said I would be." She said taking a seat. "Agent Burke is on his way to see you and take your statement."

"Peter's coming?" Neal said his smile slipping a little.

"Yeah," she said watching him carefully. "He was really worried about you, you know." Neal's face remained an unreadable mask as the glanced down at his fingers.

"So what did you do?" Eleanor said changing the subject.

"Excuse me?"

"That tracker on your ankle, how did you get it?" Neal shot her a questioning look before flashing a dazzling smile. "Oh no, you better spill the beans on this one blue eyes. Come on, you can tell Me." she said not giving up so easily.

"Bond forgery."

"Ah, that explains the love for art." Eleanor said "and Agent Burke." After watching Neal's earlier reaction, she had to know more about Neal and Agent Burkes' relationship. "What's the deal with you and him? I mean there's something more going on than just a consultant agent thing." Neal let out a tired laugh looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes.

"Unbelievable." He said smiling, only this time it wasn't his dazzling flirty smile but a genuine smile.

"What?"

"You, you're unbelievable. There's no holding back with you, always to the point, no sugar coating it. It's amazing."

"One of my many flaws." Eleanor said eyeing him carefully. "Come on, tell me. What's up with you two?" Neal looked at her, his eyes debating whether or not to say anything.

"Fine." He said giving up. "He's the one who caught me. Both times."

"Both times?"

"Yeah, both times."

"Sounds like an interesting story, but as much as hate to say this, it'll have to wait till later."

"Not complaining there." Neal said looking exhausted.

"Get some rest; I'll be in later to check on you."

"I'll hold that to you." He said his eyelids beginning to droop.

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Tell me what you think! :D


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts! I love getting them!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there

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Neal was still sleeping when Eleanor returned two hours later. She had been at work since five in the morning and her feet were beginning to hurt, so hoping that Neal would stay asleep, she quietly tiptoed over to the recliner in the corner and sat down. The chair felt like heaven as she slipped her shoes off and tucked her feet up under her. Closing her eyes she let the soft beeping sounds of Neal's heart monitor and the warm sun carry her to a dreamless sleep. Time seemed to slip away as she slept peacefully until a soft cough woke her. With weary eyes she looked over to Neal's bed to find his piercing blue eyes smiling at her.

"Comfortable?" he asked her.

"Shit." She said rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Twelve twenty."

"Damn." Eleanor said letting her head fall back and hit the back of the recliner. She had only slept for twenty minutes.

"Don't they have a break room for you to sleep in?" Neal asked the smile still planted on his face.

"It's quieter in here than in the break room. Besides, it's a little too much Grey's Anatomy for me in there."

"Or you just can't stay away from me."

"Ha, don't flatter yourself blue eyes, you're not that important."

"One can hope." He said his smile faltering slightly.

"How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"Not anymore." His charming smile flashed across his face again.

"Good I'm glad to hear that." She smiled back. "So, did Agent Burke stop by?"

"He did."

"And you told him everything?"

"I did." Neal said keeping his answers short and sweet.

"Good." She said with a smile. "Now, back to our little story."

"You are persistent aren't you?"

"Very. Come tell me."

Neal looked down at his hands before looking back up at her. His blue eyes were studying her face as if deciding whether or not to tell the whole story. Sighing he leaned back into his pillow and closed his eyes. Neal no longer looked like the charming, flirtatious man she was just talking with. Instead he looked like a man who had lost something, someone who was broken.

"Peter caught me eight years ago on bond forgery." He said opening his eyes to lock on to hers. "I was implicated in…a lot more things than that, but the bonds were the only thing they could get me on. By the time he arrested me I knew almost everything about his life and he, mine."

"Sort of a 'know thy enemy thing' huh?"

"Yeah." He said his eyes widening with surprise. "It was something like that. The second time Peter caught me, I escaped from prison."

"Why?"

"Momentary lapse in judgment." He said flashing a cryptic smile. "It wasn't long until Peter found me and sent me back."

"So how are you out?"

"I made a deal." He said simply. "I'd help Peter catch criminals like me while I serve out the rest of my sentience with him, hence, the anklet."

"That's it? That's the whole story?"

"That's all of it."

"Then I'm content, thank you." She said standing up. "When's the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday I think. Why?"

"Because you need your food if you want to get out of here. Have any requests?"

"Surprise me." that charming smile of his flashing across his face again. Eleanor tried to suppress the butterflies that grew in her stomach as she slipped on her shoes and headed for the door. But before she could reach it, the door swung open to reveal a slightly disheveled Agent Burke hand in hand with a beautiful woman that Eleanor took to be his wife.

"Peter! Elizabeth!" Neal said his voice sounding both relieved and happy.

"Neal," Agent Burke said looking slightly awkward. "Good to see you up. How you feeling?"

"Great, thanks to nurse Roberts here."

"Agent Burke." Eleanor said nodding to the FBI agent.

"I hope we're not interrupting." The woman asked her blue eyes sparkling.

"Oh no, no, I was just leaving." Eleanor said sweetly. "I'll be back soon with your food." She told Neal before leaving the con alone with his friends.

Neal was hiding something. He had built superb walls behind those dazzling blue eyes but Eleanor was smarter than that. She could tell that he didn't tell her the whole story. There was something that he was leaving out, something that he was hiding from her, something he didn't want her to know. But what she couldn't get a finger on was, why? He was a criminal, he got caught. It seemed pretty black and white to her. What didn't he want her to know?

"Hey Ellie, your patient Jennifer MacArthur has been asking for you." Dr. Stevens said popping up from nowhere. "You seem to be more popular than normal."

"Yeah." She said her thoughts still on Neal.

"Hey you ok?" Dr. Stevens asked placing a hand on her shoulder making her jump back.

"Yeah I'm fine, just lost in thought. What did you say again?"

"I said your patient, Jennifer, has been asking for you." Dr. Stevens said watching her carefully. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine Andrew, really." She said pulling her thoughts away from Neal. "I'm going to send some food to Mr. Caffrey's room, and then I'll go see Jenny."

"Ellie, if you want to talk I'm here, I know his anniversary is coming up soon."

"It has nothing to do with that." Eleanor said harshly, turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears as she ran up the stairs leading to the roof. She pushed the heavy roof access door open and was greeted with a powerful burst of freezing air. Tears stung her eyes and her body shook uncontrollably as she collapsed on to the ground.

Her mind flashed back to her dream. The sickening sound of crunching metal echoed in her ears. That accident was nearly five years ago. She should be able to think about it and not cry. She should be stronger than this. She should be over it. But she wasn't. That nightmare haunted her every night, trapping her in its sticky web, torturing her.

Eleanor screamed letting her voice be carried away by the bitter wind. She screamed until she couldn't anymore. Her nails dug into her palms breaking the skin. Frustration and grief racked her body. She didn't want to live with it anymore. She wanted it to end. She wanted him here with her. She wanted to forget. She wanted to live her life in ignorant bliss. But no matter how hard she wished, she knew it could never be. She would always have to remember so she would never forget what she had lost.

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Tell me what you think :D


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Hey Guys! Thanks to all who reviewed and alerted! Not sure when I'll be able to post again, school has started back up and I'm not feeling that great so it might be a while.

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there!

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"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eleanor asked when she entered Neal's room. Neal was standing in front of a mirror running his finger through his hair. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a black turtle neck, his hospital gown on the floor in a heap.

"Leaving." He said turning on his heel causing him to fall off balance. Eleanor ran over and barely caught him before he crashed to the ground.

"Yeah I don't think so." She said helping him back into bed. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm tired of sitting here, I wanted to move around."

"Neal, you're not allowed to leave until tomorrow." She snapped, doing a terrible job at hiding her bad mood. He looked at her with wide eyes full of concern.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She said shortly, placing her hands on hips. "Did you eat your food?"

"Yes."

"Don't lie to me Neal."

"I ate it!"

"All of it?"

"Every bit of it."

"Good." She said sitting down. Eleanor was exhausted. Taking care of Neal, her regular duties, and more nightmares, left her drained and cranky. Being Neal's nurse had become a job all on its own. If she wasn't on her rounds she was in his room talking about almost everything, from the intricacy of forging a Monte to their favorite spots in the city. It was almost relaxing talking to him yet he was so cryptic it drove her crazy. All she wanted was a straight answer.

Today was no exception. She got an all around total of three hours of sleep and Neal wasn't eating his food. He claimed to eat it, flashing that god damn charming smile of his but Eleanor would find the food tray in the trash or under his sheets. That con man was going to be the death of her if lack of sleep didn't kill her first.

"If I can't leave yet, can I at least go for a walk?"

"What?" she said pulling herself out of her head.

"A walk, can I go for a walk?" He said flashing his most charming smile. Eleanor gave him a long hard look. He knew all he had to do was flash that smile and she would do anything. It was like he put a spell on her making it impossible to say no.

"Fine." She said getting up. She quickly ran from the room only to return a few seconds later with a wheelchair.

"What is that?" Neal asked eyeing the chair with extreme apprehension.

"It's a wheelchair."

"For who?"

"You, now sit."

"I'll walk thanks."

"I don't think so. Sit." Eleanor ordered. Neal gave her a playful look of dislike before slowly walking over to the chair and sitting down. "Look at you! My grandma walks faster than you."

Neal just let out a little chuckled as Eleanor began to push him down the busy hallway. They were quiet as Eleanor pushed Neal out of the hospital to a small enclosed garden complete with a breathtaking view of the cityscape and a stone fountain.

"Would you look at that view?" Neal said commenting on the sun reflecting off of the numerous skyscrapers.

"Yeah, there's nothing quite like it." Eleanor said coming to a stop at a stone bench that sat right in front of the fountain. "So I heard Agent Burke stopped by today. What did you guys talk about?

"Oh you know same old same old."

"Yeah I bet." She said crossing her legs. He was deflecting, something she had come to find out he was good at. If he wasn't going to tell her the truth then she wasn't going to ask. After all he would be gone tomorrow and she was probably never going to see him again. Why should she even try?

"Are you feeling ok?" Neal asked watching her.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she said not making eye contact with him.

"You seem…detached."

"Well it's been a long day, I'm tired."

"Hmmm." He said his lips twitching upwards. His piercing blue eyes locked on to hers and for a second Eleanor felt like he was looking right at her soul. He looked like he knew exactly what she was thinking. "We talked about the man who stabbed Me." he said breaking eye contact to watch the water fall from the fountain. Eleanor blinked, flabbergasted.

"What?"

"Peter. When he came by earlier, we talked about the man who stabbed me."

"Well do you know who it was?"

"We have a suspect." Neal said his eyes laughing with her sudden interest.

"Who?"

"Ian Michaels. He was a strong man for a shady art thief. I went undercover as prospective buyer trying to catch him selling forgeries but somehow my identity was leaked, so Ian came after me."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah Peter picked him and his boss up this morning."

"That's great!" Eleanor shouted her excitement getting to the better of her. "Isn't?"

"Yeah," Neal said laughing at her, his smile genuine. "That's good." Eleanor blushed embarrassed by her sudden outburst and let her hair fall in her face. Neal was watching her carefully making her blush even more. Unexplainable butterflies erupted in her stomach.

"What?" she asked her heart pounding a little faster.

"You have beautiful eyes. You shouldn't cover them up." He said reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. Eleanor's heart was exploding in her chest. She sat frozen on the bench completely lost in Neal's blue eyed stare. What the hell was going on? There were little warning signs going off in her head but what she felt in her heart drowned them out. Neal began to lean in, his lips just inches from hers when a flash of brown blurred her vision. Quickly Eleanor pulled away and scooted a few inches down the bench.

"I-I-" she shuddered feeling like she might throw up.

"I'm sorry." Neal apologized, his face an unreadable mask. "It's getting a little chilly, maybe we should go inside?"

"Yeah," Eleanor said jumping to feet. "Sounds like a good idea." She practically ran back into the hospital flying down the hallway until she came to Neal room.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Neal asked getting up from the chair slowly.

"Maybe." Eleanor said with a small smile.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." He said before walking over to his bed. Eleanor opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. Instead she walked from the room feeling worse than she had all week.

_She was back on the sidewalk, the summer night air tickling her skin. A pair of headlights grew in the distance making her heart skip a beat. She watched as the car made its approach, stopping at the stop sign then slowly entering the intersection. But before it could even make it halfway, another car came out of nowhere and collided with it filling the night with a horrendous sound of crunching metal. Eleanor ran to the car her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She yanked the passenger door open and slipped inside. The driver was slumped in his seat, his face shrouded in darkness._

"_Please…no." she gagged through a wave of tears, cupping the drivers face gently in her hand and turning it to face her. But what she saw made her pull her hand away as if it was burned. "No…" she whispered horrified._

_Neal was the driver. His face was covered in deep red blood his blue eyes hazy with pain._

"_Ellie…help me." He choked._

"_No, no, you're not supposed to be here." She said backing out of the car. She slammed the door shut and ran. She ran until she could no longer see the twisted heap of metal. She collapsed on the ground gasping for air. _

"_Where are you going Ellie?" Neal's slick voice asked her. Eleanor's eye shot upwards to find Neal still covered in blood standing over her. "You have beautiful eyes." he said with a smile._

"_You're not real!" she screamed getting to her feet. "This is a dream!"_

"_Is it?" he asked taking a step closer to her._

"_Yes, it's a dream and any second I'll wake up and be back in my apartment."_

"_If this is a dream why am I in it?"_

"_I don't know." She said looking around the darkness in a panic. Why wasn't she waking up? "I don't know."_

"_I think you do know." Neal said grabbing onto her wrist._

"_Let go of me!" she yelled trying to wiggle out of Neal's firm grip._

"_What are you running from Ellie?"_

"_I'm not running from anything, now let go of me!"_

"_Why did you leave me back there? I was dying, you could have saved me."_

"_You're not dying! This is a dream, you're in the hospital! This isn't real!" she cried._

"_You left me Ellie, you ran from me." Neal said his grip getting stronger. "Did you run because I wasn't who you were expecting?"_

"_Yes." She said panicked. The look in Neal's eyes was frightening. They were burning with anger. "Now please let go of me."_

"_Could you say that a little bit louder, I didn't hear you? Did you run because I wasn't who you were expecting?"_

"_Yes!" she yelled._

"_Why Ellie, why wouldn't you help me? Why didn't you kiss me?"_

"_Because you're not him!" she screamed falling to the ground sobbing. "Because you're not him!"_

Neal's tight grip disappeared from her wrist and she was no longer surrounded in darkness. She was in her bed, the afternoon sun streaming in from her window. Tears streaked her face. A terrible, empty pain arose in her heart. She was so confused. Neal was charming, kind, wonderful. He was handsome, mysterious, he was perfect. Whenever she was around him, he made her feel alive. Yet she couldn't kiss him, there was something holding her back. A single pair of brown eyes holding her heart tightly, not letting go. One single fear held her back, a fear of forgetting and loss. She was sick of it, done, over with it. She wanted to move on. She wanted to be with Neal, she wanted to love again. But her fear wouldn't let her go. Eleanor closed her eyes and cried.

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Tell me what you think! Oh and to those of you who know about the Twar between Jeff Eastin and Shawn Ryan, how lame was Shawn's revenge? Really a website? That's it? Personally I think getting arrested is far more humiliating then some stupid website! Team Jeff all the way!


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: Sorry this is short, but I promise a nice long chapter soon. This is told from Neal's point of view.

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there.

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"Eleanor!" Neal called out spotting Eleanor walking across the atrium. She looked tired to him. Her shoulders were hunched over and the general spring in her step had vanished. Something was wrong with her. "Would you excuse me for a minute?" he asked Agent Burke who was signing him out.

"Neal we're about to leave." Peter protested.

"Just give me a second." Neal said before running off to catch up with Eleanor. "Hey, Eleanor!" he said out of breath putting a hand on her shoulder. Neal felt her shudder under his hand causing him to withdraw.

"Mr. Caffrey." She said turning around to face him. She gave him a distant professional smile, a smile that held no emotion. Her normally bright amber eyes were dull and tinged with the slightest hint of red. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to say goodbye." Neal said hiding his hurt. _This is all your fault_, he told himself. _You should have never tried to kiss her. _

"Oh well goodbye." She said turning to leave.

"Ellie wait." he couldn't let it end like this. He didn't want to have whatever this was end.

"Neal, come on!" Peter yelled. Neal closed his eyes and inwardly cursed Peter for his horrible timing. When he opened his eyes again Eleanor had gone. His eyes scanned the busy atrium but there was no sign of her, she had vanished. Taking a deep breath he walked back over the Peter a scowl on his face.

"Nice timing Peter." He said following the agent out of the hospital doors.

"What, from the looks of it I did you a favor. She didn't look like she wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah." Neal said opting out of making a snappy reply. Peter snorted and got into the driver seat, starting the car. Neal slid into the passenger seat and buckled, placing his head on the cold window. This was all his fault. Eleanor had been open and caring until he tried to kiss her. Now she was distant and cold. But he couldn't help himself. She was beautiful. Spending the past week with her was like catching up with a long lost friend he hadn't seen in years. There was something about her, something new that he liked. He could be himself around her; he didn't have to watch his step at every sentence. True, he didn't tell her the truth about everything, and he could tell that frustrated her, but honesty wasn't really his thing. Now that he was leaving her, he felt empty, depressed.

"Hey, you feeling ok?" Peter asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Neal lied.

"Who was that you were talking to?"

"Nurse Roberts."

"Ah, grown a soft spot for her have you?" Peter said with a smile.

"Would you watch the road?" Neal said deflecting. Peter was right, Neal was in love.

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Tell me what you think :D


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: I know I said this chapter would be longer but...I lied. Sorry. The next chapter will be longer though I promise! A huge thank you to all who have reviewed and alerted! Hope you guys like this chapter!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there.

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"Oh. My. Gosh. Ellie did you watch Glee last night?" Jenny asked the second Eleanor walked into her room.

"No, I missed it. Had to take an extra shift, why, what happened?" Eleanor said smiling at Jenny's abundant energy. She placed a food tray down in front of the young girl and went on her business checking her vitals.

"Rachel needed inspiration to write a song for regional's so she threw a party at her house. And she had these wine coolers and drink tickets but then everyone started to leave so she got Puck to break into her dad's liquor cabinet and THEY ALL GOT DRUNK! It was HILARIOUS!" Jenny said through mouthfuls of food.

"Wow, sounds like a crazy time." Eleanor said taking Jenny's pulse. "I hope I never hear stories about you getting drunk."

"Never, it looks stupid to me. Besides, I got to keep my heart healthy."

"That's the spirit." Eleanor said patting her head. "Did they sing any good songs?"

"Oh yeah they sang-" but before Jenny could finish a nurse walked in with someone close behind.

"Uh, Ellie, there's someone here to see you." the nurse said her face flushed and eyes sparkling. She let out a little giggle before leaving Eleanor standing face to face with Neal Caffrey.

"Neal." Eleanor breathed, trying to ignore the somersaults her heart was performing in her chest. It had been almost a week since Neal checked out of the hospital. She ran out on him on their last meeting unable to deal with her confusion and stress. Her feelings for him were undeniable and yet she couldn't bear to face them. Seeing him again sent her heart in a freefall of uncontainable joy and unfathomable fear.

"Eleanor," Neal nodded sweeping a black fedora off his head. "And you must be Jennifer MacArthur." He flashed his most charming smile causing both Eleanor's and Jenny's cheeks to turn bright red. "Ellie has told me so much about you."

"Neal, w-what are you doing here?" Eleanor stuttered.

"I came to see you." he said simply in his flirty nonchalant voice.

"Ellie is that-is he-he's the one-that's the other patient?" Jenny asked fumbling with the right words completely stunned.

"You didn't tell her about me?" Neal asked looking at her with a mock hurt expression.

"I-I-"

"Hi." He said shaking her hand. "Neal Caffrey."

"Pleasure to meet you Neal." Jenny said batting her eye lashes.

"Likewise." Neal said his charming smile creeping back onto his face.

"Neal what are you doing here?" Eleanor asked again taking back control of the conversation.

"Like I said, I'm here to see you." he said still smiling. "I didn't like the way our last conversation ended, so I came to make it up to you."

"And how do you purpose to do that?"

"Dinner, tonight, you and me."

"Oh my God Ellie do it." Jenny said piping up from her bed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Quiet you." Eleanor snapped locking eyes with Neal, no trace of a smile on her face.

"Can we talk outside?"

"After you." Neal said letting Eleanor lead him out of Jenny's room. He shut the door quietly and turned to face Eleanor's wrath.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You can't just bust up in my work and ask me out on a date." She hissed gaining some disapproving looks from her coworkers.

"I never said it was a date, I just said dinner." Neal said innocently. Eleanor opened her mouth but quickly shut it, glaring into Neal's joyful glare. "Come on Ellie, its just dinner. Think of it as a thank you dinner."

"A thank you dinner?"

"Yeah, my way of saying thanks for putting up with me while I was here." Neal said his smile growing wider knowing that if he kept it up she would give in and she did.

"Fine."

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven." He said flipping his hat on to his head. "Tell Jenny I said goodbye." Eleanor just crossed her arms and bit her lip. Neal flashed a smile leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek. Eleanor felt her face burn and her stomach bubble. She quickly turned away and walked back into Jenny's room.

"Did you say yes? Did you say yes?" Jenny begged nearly jumping out of her bed.

"Yes." She said sheepishly.

"Ellie! I'm so happy for you! What are you going to wear? Oh you should wear that little black dress you were telling me about…" Eleanor sat down in a chair as Jenny rambled on. What did she get herself into?

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Date Time! I hope to get the next chapter up tomorrow! But until then, tell me what you think! :D


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: As promised, a nice long-ish chapter! Hope you guys like it!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there.

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By the time seven rolled around Eleanor had washed her hair twice, cleaned her apartment, read through every magazine on her coffee table, and changed clothes ten times. She had finally settled on the v-neck black dress Jenny had suggested. It was a classic Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's dress, simple yet elegant. She slipped on a pair of black pumps and began pacing her living room.

What was she doing? She shouldn't be going on a date, least of all with a con man. He was a criminal, a thief; she should be running in the other direction. Not to mention how unethical it was to be even considering dating a patient. No, this was not a date, she was not dating him. This was just thank you dinner nothing more. After tonight, she hopefully would never see him again. Just then, her intercom buzzed making her jump. Neal was here. She rushed over to let him in fighting down the butterflies that just erupted in her stomach. Running her fingers through her hair, and nervously smoothing out her dress she took up pacing again counting the seconds. Then there was a soft knock on and Eleanor's stomach fell to the floor. Taking one last deep, calming breath, she opened the door.

"Ellie." Neal said flashing his most charming smile to date, his hands behind his back.

"Neal." Eleanor said wishing her face was burning so. Neal had on a classic black suit complete with a crisp white dress shirt and a slim grey tie held back by a vintage looking tie bar. On his head sat that god damn black fedora.

"You look beautiful." He said leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. Eleanor smiled despite herself. He pulled out a small bouquet of the most brilliant shade of purple calla lilies from behind his back and handed them to her.

"Calla lilies, my favorite." She said taking them and inhaling their rich perfume. "How did you know?"

"Just a hunch." He said with a sly smile.

"Come on in, I'll go put these in some water." Eleanor said letting Neal inside. His blue eyes sparkled as he walked in.

"Nice place." He called as Eleanor searched for a vase.

"thanks." She said placing the flowers on her coffee table. They looked beautiful in the crystal vase, the last rays of sunlight catching them in a fiery glow. "So, ready to go?" she asked taking her eyes of the flowers.

"Ready when you are." He said holding out her arm for her to take. Blushing, she wrapped her arm around his, letting him lead her out of her apartment.

"Are you going to tell me where were going?" Eleanor asked as she slid into the taxi.

"Why ruin the surprise?" he said mischievously. "One Water Street." he told the cabbie.

"I know it's somewhere in Brooklyn."

"I don't think that narrows it down any." Neal laughed. They rode in silence as the last rays of sunlight glimmered off the skyscrapers. It was turning out to be a beautiful evening. After about twenty minutes the cab pulled up to a long cobbled path.

"The River Café?" Eleanor asked excitedly as Neal helped her out of the cab. "How did you get a table here, it's like a two month wait?"

"I have my ways."

"Oh yeah, I forgot Neal Caffrey, infamous con man is taking me to dinner."

"I have no idea what you are saying." He said his eye dancing. He wrapped his arm around her again and led her down to the restaurant.

"Name?" the hostess asked rather rudely.

"Caffrey," he said flashing his charming smile. "Neal Caffrey." The hostess looked up from her chart to lock eyes with Neal. Her face flushed a bright red and instantly her mood improved.

"Right this way." She said her voice sticky sweet.

"Unbelievable." Eleanor whispered.

"What?" Neal whispered back innocently.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No I don't."

"Here you are." The hostess said coming to a stop at a two person table tucked away in the corner overlooking the river with the city as a breathtaking backdrop.

"Thank you." Neal said in his silky voice. The hostess just batted her eyelashes and walked off with a new spring in her step.

"Still don't know what I'm talking about?" Eleanor asked as Neal pulled out her chair.

"Not a clue." He said sitting down across from her.

"This is beautiful." Eleanor breathed looking around the dimly lit dining area.

"I agree." Neal said looking directly at her. Eleanor felt herself blush and quickly picked up her menu to hide her face. "So tell me Ellie, what's your story?" Neal asked after the waiter had come to take their orders.

"You don't want to hear that, you'll be asleep within five minutes." She deflected.

"Humor me." he said not letting the subject drop like she hoped he would.

"I grew up in Georgia, in the suburbs of Atlanta. I went to Georgia State University, majoring in Nursing, and after college I moved up here. Honestly, it's pretty boring stuff."

"Maybe to some." He said his voice silky.

"Neal…" Eleanor began to protest.

"Why'd you move to New York?"

"A change," she said grateful for the subject change. "I wanted something new. I was sick of the same city, I wanted an adventure."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Eleanor faltered. She found an adventure, just not the one she wanted.

"I'll let you know." She said cryptically. If there was one thing she learned from Neal was how to doge the truth. The waiter returned with their food and they ate making pleasant conversation not really touching on any subject. After dessert and a few too many glasses of wine, Neal and Eleanor left the restaurant stumbling and laughing loudly.

"Where are we going?" Eleanor asked as the taxi turned onto Broadway.

"My place." Neal said with his charming smile.

"Whoa there, I'm not that easy blue eyes." Eleanor said smiling back. She felt like she was floating on air. Maybe it had to do with the wine or maybe it was the company, but whoever was to blame, she felt grateful. She hadn't felt like this in years. The cab came to a stop outside a large American renaissance mansion. Eleanor could feel her eyes pop out of her head as she took the house in. "this is where you live?"

"You seemed surprised." Neal said helping her out into the chilly night air.

"Well, yeah, look at this place!" she said loudly. Neal just laughed and led her into the warm interior. "You live here by yourself?"

"No, I live on the top floor. June owns the rest of the house."

"Oh right, June."

"She's my land lady." He said as they climbed the steps.

"I figured as much. And how exactly did you two meet?"

"At a thrift store."

"You at a thrift store? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Well it's the truth, she was donating her late husband's clothes, I was…shopping and we hit it off."

"What do you mean by 'shopping'?"

"I'd just gotten out of prison." Neal said slightly deadpan as he opened the door leading to his stylish bachelor pad. "I needed some clothes."

"And she offered you a kicken' apartment." Eleanor said plopping down on his couch slipping out of her pumps.

"And she offered me this apartment." He chuckled as he sat down handing Eleanor another glass of wine. She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder feeling his warmth. He smelled of paint and something sweet that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't overpowering but subtle, hardly even there. His breaths came in slowly and rhythmically. She felt completely and utterly safe sitting by him. There was something about him that gave her the sudden urge to spill her whole story to him. Before she could stop herself she opened her mouth and spoke.

"I didn't tell you my whole story at dinner." She said softly.

"Well I guessed that much." He said taking a sip of wine.

"I moved up here with my boyfriend Danny." She said her eyes misting over. She could feel Neal move underneath her, turning his head to look down at her equally as surprised as she was. There was a panicked voice screaming inside of her head. What was she doing? Why was she telling him this? This was private, she had worked too hard burying it deep to let one man uncover it so easily. But her mouth had a mind of its own.

"I'd know Danny since elementary school, the first grade actually. I knew...the very second I saw him…I knew he was the one for me. It's stupid I know, I mean what was I? Like seven? How was I supposed to know that this, _kid_, was the man for me? But when I was with him things just felt, I donno…right. I guess you can say we started dating at the beginning of eighth grade, but for us, it felt like we had been together for years. And you know, just like every teenage couple, we had our ups and downs but he always stood by me.

After we graduated from high school Danny went off to Emory to become a doctor and I went to GSU, but it wasn't that bad. Both of the schools were downtown and after his classes he would stop by my dorm just to hang out. Back then my life was so much easier. I had everything I ever wanted.

It was his idea to move up here. We had just graduated college and he'd gotten an offer from Lenox Hill to sign on as their new pediatric specialist. I was nervous at first, I mean I'd lived in Georgia all my life, all my friends and family were here, but Danny convinced me. He said it would be our next big adventure. He said we'd be the 'two Georgia peaches taking on the big apple'. So within the next week, we landed in New York.

The first month was probably the most stressful moth of my life. All the house hunting, job finding, trying not to get lost…it was crazy, but we managed. We bought a cute little apartment in the East Village, a little out or our price range, but Danny insisted we should have the best. Once we were finally moved in and our jobs took off, things started to look up.

So one night, Danny came home early, said he wanted to take me out on the town. I started to protest saying something like 'maybe next week' or 'I have to work a double shift tomorrow'. But Danny wouldn't take no for an answer. He told me to be ready by eight o'clock and to wait for him down stairs. So I did and by eight I was standing outside waiting. I think I waited for about thirty minutes before I saw his car coming down the street." Eleanor stopped.

She hadn't realized it, but tears had begun to form in her eyes and her heart began to race. _This is why you shouldn't have said anything_! She told herself harshly. _You're not ready for this yet! Make up some lie to tell him, don't tell him the truth. You're not ready to face_ _this_.

"Then what happened?" Neal inquired softly. But just like before, her voice over powered her thoughts.

"He was just about to cross the intersection," she said her voice cracking with sobs. "When this car…came out of nowhere and blindsided him. It was-it happened so fast. And the noise…it was horrible. I didn't know what to do, so I-I ran to his car. He was s-slouched over in the driver seat, c-covered in blood. T-there was so much of it and I just sat there, b-begging him not to leave me." She sobbed breaking down.

Neal wrapped his arms around her stroking her hair. She had been holding this in for five years and all at once she let it spill out. She didn't care if her expertly applied makeup ran down her face or that she let a man she had only know for a few weeks hold her as she cried. The love of her life was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"It wasn't your fault Ellie; there was nothing you could have done." He said trying to sooth her.

"I know that." She choked. "But it doesn't make it hurt less."

"Sometimes, things like this just happen." Neal said taking her head into his hands. "It's part of life. There wasn't anything you could do. It was horrible how he was taken away from you Ellie, no one should have to deal with that, but it was five years ago. You shouldn't have to live with this. You need to let him go."He said his thumb wiping away her tears.

"I know." She said her heart breaking with every word. Danny had been such a huge part of her life. When he died he left a hole in her heart that seemed impossible to fill. But then Neal came along, literally falling into her life.

He was something new, something exciting. He seemed to have awoken some part of her that had been sleeping for five years. Being around him made her want to move on, but the only thing that held her back was her fear of losing Danny's memory. Somehow, telling Neal his story, letting someone else know her pain eased her fear. If someone, just one more person knew about him, then maybe, just maybe she could move on.

"I'm so sorry." She choked.

"What for?" Neal asked softly still holding her face.

"I'm sorry for this, for running away from you that day at the hospital, for getting mascara on your shirt." She hiccupped as a fresh wave of tears spilled over. "I was just so confused and afraid. I was afraid that if I fell in love with you, I would forget him."

"You never forget your first love no matter how hard you try." Neal said something in his perfectly clear blue eyes breaking. "They will always be a part of you, for better or for worse. I didn't know Danny but I know that he wouldn't want such a beautiful, brave woman like you living the rest of your life grieving. He would want you to love again."

"You think so?" Eleanor asked hoping that this wasn't one of those times Neal decided to lie.

"I know so." He said leaning over to kiss her on the forehead. Eleanor felt her face redden as Neal hands dropped from her face landing mere inches from hers. Neal was right; Danny would have wanted her to move on. She looked up into Neal's smiling blue eyes and felt an electric current run through her body.

He had been right there all along; her guardian angel with his devil may care looks and his obscure view of the moral spectrum. He was the con man that forced his way into her life and stole her heart. He was the person that helped her overcome her worst fear. He was the man that she had fallen in love with.

Slowly, she leaned in, her lips inches from his. She felt his warm breath caress her cheek as their lips met. One of Neal's hands entangled itself in her hair as the other slid down her back holding her closely. Their kiss grew more passionate as her hands held his head. He kissed her over and over, on the lips, on the cheek, on her neck. Eleanor pulled away staring into his beautiful blue eyes and smiled. Neal ran his hand down the side of her face and kissed her gently oh the forehead. _Some thank you dinner_. She thought with a smile.

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Good? Bad? Horrible? Shouldn't even consider finishing? Tell me what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: Thanks for all the reviews! And for those who have been asking I do plan on Neal telling Eleanor about Kate, just not yet ;]

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there!

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Eleanor woke to the morning sun warming her face. A dull ache echoed in her head, a small reminder of how much she drank last night. Neal was asleep beside her, his arm wrapped around her body loosely while her head rested on his bare chest. Out of all the possible ways the night could have panned out, she never expected to end up here. She didn't regret it, in fact she embraced it. Eleanor laid there for a while listening to his heart beat and watching his chest rise and fall with every breath.

Gingerly lifting her head, she glanced over at the clock on the night stand. It was almost nine thirty. Letting out a soft sigh, she carefully wormed her way out of Neal's embrace and slipped on her dress. As quietly as she could she gathered up her shoes, scribbled something down on a spare piece of paper, and exited his apartment. A smiled played on her face as the cold morning air swept around her. She couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. Not even the dark grey clouds could put a damper on her mood.

"Where to?" her cabbie asked grumpily.

"Good morning!" she replied cheerfully. "186 14th street please." The cabbie gave her a strange look through the rearview mirror before shrugging his shoulders and driving off into the morning traffic. Eleanor sat back in her seat and watched the buildings pass by, humming to herself. Nothing could ruin today, nothing.

After a long hot shower and a quick change of clothes Eleanor was back out in the chilly morning air. The frozen grass crunched under her weight as she shifted uneasily back and forth. _Deep breaths_. She told herself as she stared at the headstone in front of her_. Just take deep breaths; everything is goin' be just fine if you just breathe_. Bending down she placed a bouquet of deep red roses on the cold ground.

"I miss you every day." She whispered softly.

"Those are beautiful." said a voice from behind her. Eleanor stood up and turned around to find Neal, bundled up, standing in the morning light.

"I didn't think you were going to show." She said a smile growing across her face.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He said wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I'm glad you came." She said her fingers entwining with his as she turned to look at Danny's headstone once more. "It means a lot."

"For you Ellie, I would do anything." he said smiling down at her.

"He would have liked you." she said gesturing to the headstone. "He always had a fascination with the wrong side of the law."

"The wrong side of the law?" Neal asked raising his eyebrows.

"Ok let me rephrase that, he always found your particular profession intriguing. Does that sound better?"

"Much better." He said kissing her head. "It's cold, want to go grab a coffee?"

"Coffee sounds wonderful." she said as they began walking. A thought had dawned on her. Maybe after last night, Neal might just open up to her. Maybe, just maybe. "You know…you owe me an explanation." she said treading lightly.

"A what?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"An explanation. I let it go at the hospital but after last night I think I deserve a straight answer."

"About what?" Neal asked looking at his shoes.

"About why you broke out of prison the second time."

"I recall answering that question." He said deflecting with a charming smile.

"No you said it was just a momentary lapse in judgment, that's not an answer."

"Sure it is."

"No Neal it's not." Eleanor said coming to a stop. Was he being serious? After everything last night, after she spilled her heart out, he was still going to deflect?

"Ellie…" Neal began looking up at her with guarded eyes.

"You know what Neal, save it." She said angrily letting go of his hand. "I don't know what I was thinking, I should have known."

"Should have know what?" Neal asked his brow furrowing.

"I should have known that you wouldn't tell me the truth!" she yelled getting angrier and angrier. "Even after everything last night, I somehow knew this would happen! I mean do you even know how hard last night was for me? And I ask one simple thing, just one little question and what do you do? Deflect! You hide behind that god damn smile! But you're a con man, I guess that's just who you are!"

"Ellie please…"

"How can you expect this to work if you won't tell me the truth?" she asked her tone softening a little. "Do you even want this relationship to work?"

"Of course I do Ellie," he said his mask slipping to show a very torn, broken man. "But I...I can't tell you."

"Why not Neal?" she asked tears stinging her eyes. "Why can't you tell me? What happened that was so bad that you can't tell me? Talk to me Neal. Maybe I can help you!"

"I'm sorry Ellie…" he said softly his voice trailing off. Eleanor could feel her heart breaking. Just her luck. She should have seen this one coming. After all she did fall for the con man. Her happy mood had completely evaporated leaving her feeling empty. She didn't want to be here anymore. She didn't want to see those damn eyes of his. She just wanted to be alone. Turning on her heel she began to run. She could hear Neal call after her, but she didn't care. She reached the sidewalk and without looking ran out into the street.

She didn't see the car rounding the corner. She didn't hear Neal's blood curling scream or the screech of tires. She didn't feel the impact of the car as it hit her dead on. She felt like she was flying, soaring above the world without a care. Then she landed. Hard. Her head made contact with ground with a sickening crack. Her vision grew blurry, her breath caught in her throat. She felt a pair of hands stroke her head gently. Then she heard a voice.

"Ellie!" Neal cried. "Ellie can you hear me?" Eleanor tired to say yes but her voice wasn't working. She felt so tired, she could feel her eyes lids begin to droop. "No, Ellie stay awake. Come on, you gotta stay awake!" her eyes closed and the impending darkness wrapped its welcoming arms around her, Neal's pleading voice slowly fading away.

"Ellie…"

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Tell me what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: Hey guys sorry for all the weirdness with the updates, this has never happened to me before I really don't know what was going on. But anyway, here's the chapter...finally!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there!

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Eleanor sat on an old wooden swing in a field of pecan trees, the sweet grass tickling her bare feet. A warm summer breeze thick with the scents of honeysuckle and azaleas rustled the waxy green leaves as she swung back and forth. The brilliant blue sky was dotted with tiny, fluffy white clouds like cotton balls. Birds chirped from the branches as a butterfly fluttered past her face. She felt so relaxed, so peaceful. She wanted to stay here forever.

A figure of a man began walking towards her; his rich brown hair tussled by the breeze. A smile formed on her lips as Danny walked closer. She jumped from the swing and ran into his open embrace.

"Oh Danny!" she cried holding on tightly. He smelled just like she remembered. His rough hand stroked her head gently as she buried her face into his chest. "I've missed you so much!"

"You can't be here Ellie." He said his voice soft and gentle.

"Of course I can." She said not letting go of him.

"No you can't Ellie. It's too soon." He said with a laugh as Eleanor looked up at him with a horrified expression. "You need to go back out there. He's waiting for you."

"I don't want to leave you Danny." She whispered. "I can't lose you again."

"I never left Ellie. I've always been with you and I always will. But you need to leave here, you can't leave him. He loves you very much Ellie and he needs you."

"Danny…"

"I love you Ellie." He said slowly fading away. Eleanor suddenly felt cold on such a beautiful, warm day. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at the sky. There was something about that shade of blue that reminded her of someone. Someone she cared deeply about. A familiar voice echoed in her head, calling her name over and over. She listened to the voice letting it sooth her. Everything around her began to dissolve leaving her in a world of white. She clung to the voice as she drifted away.

"Ellie…"

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Tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

A/n: WooHoo two updates in one day! Sadly there will only be one more chapter, but I hope to keep writing these two I just have to wait for the right idea! Thanks for all the reviews! I love you guys!

I don't own White Collar just the little mistakes here and there!

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The pain hit her like train running full force down the tracks. Every inch of her body throbbed. Her neck felt stiff and something cold was pressed against her face and nose. With each breath a sharp pain blossomed across her chest. Her eyes weakly fluttered opened to a harsh, bright, white light. Blinking for several minutes the room slowly came into focus. She was laying in a hospital bed, her left arm and leg wrapped in a cast. Something warm had entwined itself around her right hand, holding it tight. A mess of brown hair rested at her thigh, sleeping. Her fingers twitched arousing the sleeping figure.

"Ellie!" Neal said his head jerking upwards.

"N'el?" she choked out, her throat raw. A smile spread across his face as he held onto her hand tighter.

"Hey," he said. Neal didn't look the same as he did last time she saw him. His face was unshaved and dark bags hung under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. But the biggest difference was in his eyes. They were dull, empty. The exuberant light and excitement they usually held was gone. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a car." She said her voice barely audible. "What happened?"

"You were hit by a car." He said trying not to laugh. Eleanor chuckled but instantly regretted it as a fresh wave of pain washed over her. "Hey, hey take it easy." He cooed stroking her hair.

"How long was I out?"

"Three days." He said his face suddenly grim.

"How-how bad is it?"

"Ellie...it's pretty bad. Maybe-maybe I should get the doctor." Eleanor started to protest but Neal had already sprinted from the room returning seconds later with a tall red headed doctor.

"Eleanor, it's good to see you awake." Dr. Stevens said with a smile. He pulled out a pen light and shined the light into her eyes.

"Andrew, tell me how bad it is." She whispered. She wanted to know, no matter how horrible it was.

"You fractured your skull and broke both your left arm and leg. You have seven broken ribs and a fractured hip bone. Amazingly, no brain damage but I guess we have that hard head of yours to thank. The good news is you should be able to make a full recovery."

"And the bad news is?"

"You'll recover but, it's going to take some time Ellie."

"How much time?" Neal asked his grip on her hand growing tighter.

"Eight months give or take. It won't be easy, but you're a fighter, you'll make it through." He said giving her an encouraging smile. "I'll be back to check on you later." Neal gave Dr. Stevens a small smile as he left. They sat in silence for a while listening to Eleanor's rhythmic heart monitor. It was Neal who broke the silence first.

"Ellie I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault Neal." Eleanor said closing her eyes.

"Yes it is."

"You didn't push me in front of the car; I was the stupid one and walked into it. It is not your fault."

"But _I_ made you walk away."

"Neal please, this isn't your fault. Please stop blaming yourself." She pleaded. Neal was at his wits end. He looked like he might collapse on himself at any moment. The last thing he needed was the guilt over something he had no control over.

"_I _was the one who made you upset. I should have just answered your question and stopped acting like a jack ass. I should have been honest with you."

"Neal…"

"No Ellie, you were right, I'm a con man, lying is what I do." He said his eyes searching her face.

"We all have our flaws."

"I don't want this flaw. I don't want to lie to you anymore. I want this relationship to work. Ellie I want to be with you and if that can happen then I do owe you and explanation." Looking down at his hands for a second, Eleanor could have sworn she saw him shudder. He took a deep breath, gathering the strength to continue before locking onto her tired eyes. "I broke out of prison for my girlfriend, Kate."

"You don't have to do this Neal."

"Yes I do." He said squeezing her hand. "I met Kate before I went to prison; she was part of a con I was pulling. Kate worked for the man me and my…partner were scamming, Vincent Adler as his assistant. Kate was beautiful, the first time I saw her I knew I was in love. But she had a boyfriend then. Fortunately for me, a few months into the con they broke up and Kate and I got together. Everything was perfect; I had the job, the girl, and the perfect life … it was the perfect lie. But every con has its expiration date. Adler caught onto the con and disappeared, leaving Kate and I with nothing. And just like that, our perfect life was gone."

"What did you do?" Eleanor asked.

"I taught her how to survive in my world. We started pulling cons together, getting everything back, living the life. For a while things went great, and then we had an argument. I wanted to go to Europe for a job but I wasn't sure she would want to go so I might have indirectly hinted about it. But Kate…she was always the smart one…she figured it out and was pissed. She said I tried to con her. Maybe I did, but either way I made the mistake and left for Europe without her. When I came back, she was gone."

"Did you ever find her?"

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle. "Peter used her to catch me. We didn't know it until Peter and the FBI showed up."

"Peter used her?"

"Peter had been chasing me for three years by then and knew all about Kate. I'd looked everywhere for her when I got back, but I taught her too well, so I started pulling big cons to get her attention. Peter figured out that I was looking for her. He leaked her location, hoping I would fall for the trap, and I did. So I went to prison and Kate waited for me. One day she came to see me, she was so upset but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. She said she couldn't do this anymore, she said she needed to move on. That was the last day she came to visit. She never came back. "

"So you broke out to find her."

"Yeah." He said with a small smile looking down at the floor.

"What happened to her?"

"She died, in a plane explosion." He said looking up at her with watery eyes.

"Oh my god Neal, I'm so sorry."

"When that car hit you Ellie, I was so scared. I'd already lost Kate, I couldn't lose you too."

"I'm not going anywhere." She said squeezing his hand. "A wise man once told me that we never forget our first love, they never leave us."

"Really?" Neal said with a laugh. "A wise man told you that?"

"A very attractive wise man." she said weakly. "Thank you for telling me the truth. Had I known that getting hit by a car would make you talk I would have done it sooner."

"That's not funny." He said his eyes wide with shock.

"Relax Neal; I don't plan on walking in front of a car anytime soon." She said with a weak smile. "It hurts too much."

"Do you need me to get the doctor?"

"No…I think I'll just close my eyes for a little bit." She said her eyes slowly closing. "Something you should do."

"Do I look that bad?" he laughed.

"You might look worse than me." she joked, her mind feeling fuzzy.

"Get some sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He said kissing her gently on the hand. "We'll get through this Ellie, you and me, together. I will never leave you, I love you."

"I love you too." She said before falling away into a blissful, pain free sleep a smile still lingering on her lips. He loved her, that's all she needed to hear.

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Tell me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

_A/n_: So here it is, the last chapter! Thanks to all who have reviewed, alerted, and added this to their favorites! I'm glad that ya'll have enjoyed the story and Eleanor, it makes me very happy! :) I already have an idea for a new story with these two but the end of the semester is coming up and I need to focus on my school work for now. Thanks again for reading, you guys are the best!

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_Eight months later _

Eleanor stood nervously in the elevator, a visitor's badge clipped to the front of her dark blue scrubs. A tall blurry man stood next to her in his bland Brooks Brother's suit, his hands folded in front of him. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, her fingers brushing over the thin scar that ran from her hairline to her chin.

It had been almost eight months since the accident and like Dr. Stevens said, it hadn't been easy. She had to go through months of physical therapy just to regain her strength. She had times when she didn't want to do it anymore, dissolving into a mess of tears but Neal was always there. He kept his word, being with her every step of the way. His presence gave her hope that one day all of this would be over and she would be better again.

There was a soft ding as the elevator doors slid open. She walked out of the elevator with a slight limp in her walk as the man lead her into the spacious bull pin of the FBI's White Collar division.

"Wait here please." He said pointing to first desk.

"Thank you." she said with a smile. The man nodded and walked off back to the elevators. Eleanor sighed and looked down at the desk she was told to stand by. A smile spread across her face, it had to be Neal's desk. There were pieces of scrap paper with brilliant little doodles on them and a bust of some old guy Eleanor didn't recognize. She heard Neal's laugh and looked up to the second level to find Neal leaving a large conference room side by side with Agent Burke. Agent Burke nudged him gently on the arm and pointed down to Eleanor. A dazzling smile broke out on his face at the sight of her, his eyes dancing. Eleanor felt her face burn as she looked down at the floor.

Neal slapped the case file he was holding on Agent Burke's chest and bounded down the small flight of stairs. He wrapped Eleanor up in a tight embracing placing a passionate kiss on her lips. Eleanor pulled away her face redder then before.

"Neal…" she whispered fully aware of the looks the two were getting. "Everyone's watching."

"I don't care." He said with a smile grabbing onto her hand. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better now." She said with a smile. Agent Burke walked up them with a coy smile playing on his face.

"Miss. Roberts, it's good to see you doing better." He said shaking her free hand.

"Thank you, Agent Burke." Eleanor said her cheeks rosy.

"So what are you to kids up too?" he asked.

"I'm taking Eleanor out to lunch." Neal said smiling down at her.

"Sounds like fun." He said his smile growing larger.

"Hey Boss, I got that file you wanted, turns out you were right. The art theft ring seems to be stepping up their game." A tall and beautiful agent said walking up to them, a blue case file in her hand.

"Uh, thanks Diana." Agent Burke said taking the file from the agent with a little cough. The woman gave Agent Burke a strange look before looking in Neal and Eleanor's direction. Her almond brown eyes grew wide with excitement as a devilish smile spread across her face.

"You must be Caffrey's new girlfriend." She said holding her hand out for Eleanor to shake. "Diana Barrigan."

"Eleanor Roberts." Eleanor said sweetly shaking Agent Barrigan's hand.

"You know, Neal talks about you all the time." Agent Barrigan said. "Half the time we can't get him to shut up."

"Well, I can't say that I'm not that surprised." Eleanor said giving Neal a playful jab with her elbow. "He likes to brag."

"Only about the good things." Neal said entering the conversation. "We should get going."

"Yeah, I guess we should." Eleanor said with a sigh. "It was very nice to meet you Agent Barrigan. And it was nice to see you again Agent Burke."

"Neal, bring me something back!" Agent Burke called to their retreating backs.

"Not a chance Peter!" Neal called back wrapping his arm around Eleanor as they made their way into the elevator. A wide smile was planted firmly on Eleanor's lips as Neal held her close.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She lied. In fact she had a lot to smile about.

"Come on tell me."

"It's just seeing you at work, in your element, it just makes me smile." she said. Truth be told, it was the attitude both Agent Burke and Agent Barrigan had for Neal that made her smile. It was friendly, loving, nothing like she ever imagined. It made her happy that other people saw Neal for who he really was, a person, not just some con man.

"Well you know seeing you in those scrubs makes me smile too." He said as his hand slid down her back and wrapped around her waist.

"Oh, it's going to take a lot more charm than that." She said kissing him. "I'm not that easy blue eyes."

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